Editing The Crusaders (section)

=Unit Organisation and Structure within the Legion=

Like all the Legions, the Xth started out with the standard Terran Pattern of Legion organization, though with a bias towards massed infantry and armoured formations only equalled by the VIIIth. However it wasn’t very long into the Crusade when their Primarch was found, and he would re-create the Legion from top to bottom along the lines of flexibility and a combined arms approach to warfare that would leave it by the time of the Heresy very different from its brother Legions.
Though the basic structure of the Chapter, Battalion and Company remained, they were completely restructured by Gaudin. Every Chapter was organized as a completely self-sufficient formation capable of prosecuting campaigns entirely independently. When multiple Chapters were deployed to a single warzone, each was treated as a separate entity. This allowed the Legion to spread itself out and separate formations could be found in almost every segmentum, pushing the boundaries of the Imperium.

Within the chapters, each battalion were heavily reinforced and became the main battle formation of the Legion, each itself designed to operate alone.
One of the most notable changes within the Legion was the decline in the use of large sized squads. Twenty Man Squads, the building block of almost every other Legion could only fit into the larger Spartan Transports, which were always in short supply within the Legion due to battlefield losses. Rhinos and Land Raiders fitted with Lucifer pattern Engines were foremost in use and as a result ten man squads grew to dominate Legion formations save only in exceptional circumstances. To further the flexibility of these mechanized squads, they often carried special and heavy weapons with them instead of relying on Tactical Support and Heavy Support squads, a precursor to the all arms tactical squads of the post-Heresy era.
Along with the lack of larger squads was a corresponding lack in specialized formations that were not effective in mobile warfare. Breacher Siege Squads were rare within the Legion due to their disdain for urban conflict, and Assault Squads were also in the minority, principally employed as the vanguard for the main mechanized assaults. Like most Legions the Crusaders maintained a Destroyer cadre, though they were mainly used with Jump Packs in advance of the armoured thrusts.

==Legion Command Hierarchy==

Thomas Gaudin was the undisputed lord and master of his Legion. His men adored him, and would gladly follow him into the most hellish warzones at his command. Beneath the Primarch, the foremost member of the Legion was the Hochmeister, who was the First Chapter Master and the Primarch’s chosen champion and representative. At the time of the Heresy, the Hochmeister was Anton Kantner, formerly the Head of the X Legion’s Sacred Band. The Chapter Master equivalent was the Ordensmarschall, each tasked with the command of a single Chapter formation and usually a single Expeditionary Fleet as well. An Ordensmarschall was expected to be an expert in Logistics as well, as they could not expect help from the wider Legion and would have to conquer worlds and keep their forces supplied on their own. Given the diffuse nature of the Legion, it was very rare for multiple Ordensmarschalls to be present in a single campaign, and when they did the overall commander was chosen based on seniority.

Beneath them were the Battalion-Level Commanders known as Komturs, who orchestrated the bulk of the operational tactics and were the main formation commanders. Beneath the Komtur was the Captains of the Mechanized Line Companies and Armoured Companies of the Legion, which operated together and thus were required to exhibit a large degree of co-operation and co-ordination between them. Inter-Company rivalries were almost unheard of in the Crusaders, with smooth bonds of comradeship between the various captains greatly aiding the effectiveness of the combined arms armoured warfare that so characterized the Legion. Merit was the foremost judge of competency in command for the Legion, and all promotions within the Legion were based on the martial record and ability of the prospective commanders.

The Legion also had an unusual method of squad command. Sergeants were not a fixed rank as in other Legions, rather each squad elected their own squad sergeant before each campaign, and that sergeant would step down after the campaign. This ensured that only those fit for it would have that level of command, and those who failed at the task could swiftly be returned to the ranks and a new leader chosen. While this made lower-level politicking unavoidable, it also ensured that those who truly proved themselves and were elected time and time again to the same rank would become eligible for rising to higher ranks, thus reinforcing the meritocracy system of command the Legion had in place.

==Legion Tactics==
[[File:Crusaderstank.png|300px|thumb]]
Once they became the Crusaders, their tactics changed drastically. No longer a Legion of slow-moving mixed assault formations, the new Crusaders were an army of rapid mechanized assaults. Using Land Raiders and tanks on the ground and Thunderhawks and Fire Raptors in the air, they used speed, shock and surprise to break through enemy lines. Once this has been achieved, mobile forces raced deeper into enemy territory, disrupting the rear areas and threatening the front lines with encirclement.

The infantry tactics of the Crusaders are to continuously gain ground and to push the enemy back. They are known for their use of massed Land Raiders or Rhinos, each containing 10 marines, forming a single "troop". Each company would comprise at least ten troops if not more. The Land Raider would advance towards an enemy position supported by artillery or gunship fire. Once it has reached its objective, the Land Raider will disgorge the Space Marines and fight alongside them.  As this is happening, other Land Raiders will continue on to their own objectives in a leap frog tactic.  This allows the Crusaders to cover tremendous amounts of ground and completed multiple objective simultaneously.  Once a "troop" completes its objective it will return to the Land Raider and move on to other objectives.  This maintains a very rapid and disorientating assault

If the enemy does not give ground or manages a counter-attack, a Crusaders troops is perfectly capable of digging in their heels and calling in support.  The same rapid manoeuvres that deliver attacking troops can also bring up reserves, or fire support via artillery or Thunderhawks. The Crusaders are a fast-moving, multi-pronged spear.  Their tactics, and the difficulty to dislodge them from any position, has earned the Legion an unofficial nickname; "The Barbs."

==Legion Equipment==
[[File:Crusaders.jpg]]

The Crusaders were largely re-equipped by Gaudin after he came to the Legion, and this radically changed what weaponry the Legion relied upon. Gaudin's first requirement was for enough transports to ensure the entire Legion could be mounted up for mobile actions, and reserves of armoured vehicles from Mars, Voss and Phaeton were diverted to fill the gap. The Legion's newfound focus on armored warfare also saw heavy support squads become rarer as armored vehicles like Predators filled in the gap. Consequently more Tactical support squads entered the ranks of the Legion, offering more portable firepower to augment the swift armored strikes.

Cataphractii Armour was also largely phased out, save for the elite Crusader Aedassan Canons and some higher-ranking officers. Tartaros Armour was in high demand for its enhanced mobility, and Tartaros squads in Land Raiders were often used as the tip of the spear for heavy assaults.

The Crusaders were never among the most numerous of the Legions, with the most conservative estimate of the Legion around the time of the Heresy giving them around 115,000 line Astartes, with a considerable armored reserve, second only to the Mastodontii Legion, though while the Mastodontii favored heavier vehicles like the Fellblade and Typhon, the Crusaders preferred faster vehicles such as the Predator and Sicaran, whose design Gaudin it is said had a hand in. The Crusaders also used a specially modified pattern of Rhino fitted with ‘Lucifer’ pattern engines to increase its speed, vital for the type of warfare the Legion espoused.

==Legion Doctrine==

For the Crusaders, victory was everything. If dirty tricks were required to secure Victory, then so be it. The mobile armored warfare Gaudin had experienced and adopted on Sturmundrang was tailor-made for winning swift and decisive victories and would become the hallmark of the Legion's war-Doctrine. Attacking forces used spearheads made up of concentrated formations of armored and mechanized infantry with close air support. These formations would use short, fast, powerful attacks that with a combination of speed, shock and close-in firepower would break enemy defensive lines. Once broken these formations would use speed and surprise to encircle them, avoiding head-on collisions with the main body of the enemy. By doing this, the enemy armies would be left unbalanced and respond to the continuously changing front line. Once cut-off, the enemy armies could be reduced by the Imperial Army or aerial and orbital attack while the Crusaders forces pressed ever onwards towards vital political and industrial areas, crippling the enemies will to fight.

Thomas Gaudin offered a logical and well thought out alternative to the military organization of [[Gaspard Lumey]] presented in the ''Institutorum Astartes'', based on his decentralized legion structure and the smaller, more flexible squads his legion had pioneered. The Crusaders accepted much of the Institorum, but made a change in the chain of command of the Chapter. They included the new "Lieutenant" rank, given command over two squads of five marines, which form a single "troop". Due to their strength, hardiness, and ability to swiftly respond to any rising threat, the Crusaders have taken the role of a mobile response and peacekeeping force. Sending fleets out to patrol their section of the galaxy, they also keep a sizable force planet side to mobilize as a quick reaction force or to reinforce other Legions if needed.

==Support Formations==

'''Apothecarion'''

The Gene-Seed issues of the Legion in its early days demanded a lot from the Legion's apothecaries, who had the burden of recovering as much gene-seed intact as possible whenever possible. With the coming of the Primarch the primacy of the Apothecarion was reduced as Gaudin's focus on swift armored warfare reduced casualties but required more from the Techmarines of the Armorium.

'''Armorium'''

Even before the coming of the Primarch the VI Legion was known for having an unusually large '''Techmarine''' Corps, mainly due to the Legion willingly attaching itself to Mechanicum Taghmata formations when requested, such as at Dieseleium, one of the most bloody battles of the Pre-Primarch Legion. Post-Unification Gaudin encouraged and even expanded upon this, sending large numbers of Marines to Mars, and willingly taking part in the reduction of Neutros Scrayaer under the command of the Fabricator General himself. The Techmarines of the Crusaders were known for their unusual degree of respect for the beliefs of the Mechanicum, their willingness to make repairs under fire and a cavalier disregard for the wellbeing of their armored charges, much to the disgust of other Legions.

'''Castra'''

Though Gaudin held little stock with fortifications, often speaking the ancient wisdom 'The army that remains in its forts is beaten'. Though Sacred Band member '''Gabriel Bain''' supervised the creation of a number of fortified Motor-Pools on worlds ceded to the Legion as sources of recruits. These were not true fortifications but could in an emergency be used as such, and would become important during the Heresy, as both the Crusaders and the Traitors sought to obtain their valuable contents for the war effort.

'''Librarus'''

Gaudin was a pragmatic commander who after seeing the Eyes of the Emperor and Black Augurs in action encouraged the growth of the Legion's Librarius. Telepathy was the discipline of choice for the Legion, a way of sending orders swiftly and securely to troops as well as speeding up combat interrogations for battlefield intelligence.

===Specialist Troops===

'''Aedassan Canons'''

As part of the sweeping changes instituted by Gaudin during his reformation of the Legion, an elite bodyguard unit was formed in honor of their newly-found lord. Though Gaudin had never needed a bodyguard and did not desire one, he knew his gene-sons wished to honor him, and so after a personal plea from members of the Sacred Band, he acquiesced to their creation. He named them after one of the first great triumphs of the Sacred Band on Terra, the Battle of Aedassa and the elite troops known as Canons they had overcome there.
The Aedassan Canons became known as the 'Death and Glory Boys', who were always struggling to keep up with their relentless Primarch. To be a Canon was to be in the very heart of the enemy confronting the deadliest foes imaginable, and many did not survive long in the maelstrom of battle Gaudin led them into. But the Canons saw themselves as bright stars that shone briefly but brilliantly. Gaudin developed a deep respect for the Canons, though he rarely showed any sign of it.
The Canons were one of the few units within the Legion to continue to use Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour, modifying it by overcharging the power source to increase the speed while retaining the enhanced armor protection. This heavily taxed the armor's power supply so it could only be used in short bursts to charge or disengage from the enemy, but it allowed for a thunderous charge, the sheer momentum smashing enemy troops asunder.

'''Sturmtruppen'''

A modification of the standard Breachers, Sturmtruppen used smaller versions of the Standard Breacher Shield and replaced their Bolters with rapid-fire Grenade Launchers and back-up Power Axes. They relied on enhanced mobility to make up for the reduced protection. The brainchild of Rook North, they were trained in both ground combat and boarding actions, launching swift and decisive strikes to break through enemy defenses.

'''Panzergreift'''

The Panzergreift are a force of mobile heavy gunners created to allow for mobile anti-tank fire support. Using a modified Lascannon with a Suspensor Web, they would be in the first wave, quickly identifying and neutralizing enemy heavy armor and strongpoints that could hold up the advance. being in the very thick of it, Panzergreift had a reputation for suicidal bravery and heavy casualties, yet there were plenty of heavy weapon troopers who were willing to take up the mantle of the Panzergreift.

==Fleet==

The Crusaders were never a Legion with a great deal of expertise in void-warfare. For the Legion, a ship was a tool, a means of moving men and material from world to world and providing firepower from orbit to smash enemy ground targets asunder. The battleships, cruisers, frigates and gunships of the Crusaders were thus used principally as transports and fire support, breaking through weak points in enemy fleets to deposit their cargo on the planetary surface and then remaining on station to provide thunder from heaven as the situation demanded.

The Legion had very few heavy Warships, though those they did have, such as the Infernus-class Battleships ''Koenigsraum'' and ''Graeffenberg'' were famous as mighty engines that would break a hole so the Legion could push through deploy onworld. Their flagship was the mighty Gloriana Class battleship '''Hohenstetchen''', named after a mythical king of Sturmundrang who ruled before the atmosphere had gone toxic. The Hohenstetchen had a number of its gun batteries removed in order to add additional generators for its mighty Macro-Lances, one volley of which would overload all the shields and cripple the hull of a Retribution-class Battleship. The Hohenstetchen was the ultimate linebreaker and time and again it would punch a hole through even the mightiest void defenses. It would be lost in the First Dark Crusade with all hands.

==Allies and Auxilia==
[[File:1445312110605.png|thumb|right|200px|Techno-feudal auxilia, typical of those deployed by the Crusaders]]
Thomas Gaudin often employed Auxilia to perform roles that his own Space Marines were less interested in.  The Crusaders tended to favour heavy infantry regiments, and if these formations rarely proved themselves as an "anvil" to the Marines' hammer, they were still a valuable addition in the field. Given the dispersed nature of the Crusaders forces, there was an astonishing variation in the types of Imperial Army forces that served alongside the Legion.

Thomas Gaudin visited ''Ardito'' in 878.M30 to inspect its troops.  Impressed by what he found, he ordered that half of the [[Ardito Highwatch]] regiments be attached to his Legion.  Although the Highwatch struggle in the open country favoured by the Crusaders, their skills in rough country often helped to screen the Astartes' flanks.